Dance with the Zone
by Plastic Turdlord
Summary: During one of the Zone border raids, Judy Hopps meets a person, that not only shouldn't have been there, but also causes a lot of trouble to her. This story has a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. crossover. Judy's POV
1. Chapter 1 - Hello

**So, this is my first time writing a fanfic. Before you will read, I must tell, that it throws away the entire movie plot, and there will be self-made characters. I also hope to get some feedback from you guys. Enjoy.  
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I went on the road near 9 p.m. A lot of stalker mammals think it's a bad sign and try to cross the perimeter during the daylight. Too bad, I didn't care what others thought.

I stopped caring about it long ago, when I was a new stalker. My mentor – may the fate have mercy on him – told me to make my own rules. Even if it's gonna be a taunt-target for everyone, but if you will do it – you will be in success.

He was a funny guy, mentor Ming. I remember him every time I'm on my way to the Zone. I remember him with respect and sadness. He didn't even knew what was he saying back then.

Looks like it was hard for the sun to disappear today. It shrank near the horizon, while spitting the "blood" on nearby clouds, to recover and rise again the next day.

My path was going through the closest forest. I caught the good mood pretty fast. Otherwise I could've delay my trip for a long time. Long ago, I've started to view the world somewhat different than before. This is why I refuse to teach anyone how to survive in Zone. Someone, who wants to earn something, sometimes doesn't even realize, that the price for the desired reward can be too big, and they won't be the only ones paying it.

I caught the pace and embraced myself. My legs became the independent gear of the machine "Judy Hopps" and I could keep walking without exhausting. As for the actual gear – I don't have much of it. I distance myself from lethal guns and try not to carry any massive metal things. I've got my own style.

It finally went dark. But that doesn't mean I can get lost. Hell, even if I do – I can't miss the borderline of metal wires. I found the weak spot the moment I approached to it. It wasn't that hard to go through – just don't lose yourself and don't hit the signal rocket ropes. These guys won't even try to catch you – but they surely will try to guess, what was your name, to put on your grave memorial. Even if you will only get a slight contusion – the Zone is locked for you forever. Weak minds don't live long here.

Inventing a bicycle is pointless here. A couple of cuts with wire cutter here and there, hop over the rope and we're done! "The greatest Zone guard" is slipped through! I've dropped the wire cutter – it's totally useless now. Nobody thinks of going back home, when entering the Zone.

Some time ago it was impossible. Choppers, light carriers, towers with snipers, who welcomed you in full force. They said, it was really effective. Now it's just a tiny bit different – it's all inside the Zone, choppers are the home of different mutated mammals here, and carriers are just decorations to the atmosphere.

It was quiet. Too quiet. Oh, how i hate that – it's a great sign of the destiny to put some weird trick on you.

And then I heard the sound. I heard a quiet and sad weeping coming from inside the forest. Zone has a lot of surprises. One of them – are mutants, and a lot of them are sick savages. I pulled out a knife and moved forward. Something horrifying was in that weeping. Someone was dying – and it was surely long and painful death.

There are marauders, that won't hesitate to kill even the slightly injured teammate. There are mammals, that will try to keep away from the Zone's business. But as I was saying – I don't really care.

Right before me, there was an ugly creature, lying on a stump. I guess, it was a dog before, but now it's hard to tell by its look. The skinny and bald creature was trying to keep its head with it's only eye. The eye, that was staring at me. The weeping sound the "dog" made, wanted me to drop into the grass and weep with it, sharing the pain that the fate gave to it. The poor creature slightly twitched.

I was starting to swing my glass knife, but, eventually, I overcame the desire to end its suffering. The Zone was waiting for me. It was its way to say "hello".

Hello to you, too, Zone.


	2. Chapter 2 - Swamp trap

I took a break on the closest hill. A long time ago, my mentor and I came to this hill. We constructed a cart from the vehicle remnants lying around, put it on the rails and ventured into the Zone with comfort. I was surprised with how silent it was. The rails were nearly invisible, because of the grass, and we could only hear the wheel noise.

It was a safe and fast path back then, but now it's a suicide to go on it. You could see the pile of metal, that the rails were turned into. And its last passengers as well.

Three stalkers, dozens of scientists and armed guard – that was the science expedition, who tried to approach the destroyed reactor three years ago, from this place. Guess, what happened to them. I refused to go with them, and got year and a half of another zone, called jail. Three marauders, that were caught that day, were freed by Cpt. Bellwether, in exchange of the promise to help the investigation of the Zone.

I always wondered, why am I still doing this. Money? Yeah, but would I risk my fluff ass only for money each time? I have the reputation of a strange bunny-stalker. I never sell something cool to random people, I don't escort anyone. Hell, I don't ask for money, when I sell my maps, made from my sweat and blood. I wonder, how it's not in a literal meaning yet. The only way I get money – a good friend of mine in Zootopia Zone Investigation Center. If the artifact was unique, I was guaranteed to be the anonymous seller and the help in anything I need. I always think, that I do something good and useful. But why do I keep coming back here – I still don't know.

I saw that thing from far away. It was a black spiral, 10 cm in diameter, with a blue cloud above it. I haven't seen these ones before. I threw a stone towards it, hoping I won't find any anomalies. And I was lucky not to find any. My knees were shaking as I approached to the spiral and finally took it. It was like that every time, I touched THESE kind of things. But finally, I could go back home.

But there was one thing. The fastest way out was through the nearby swamp. I don't really like them, but I had to go. Zone's night swamps were the only thing I stayed away from. Ah, whatever. I will do it if I have to. I was carefully going forward, counting, how much I had to stay here, when I heard a quiet, but distinguishable moan:

– Help…

I almost hopped from it. Mammals citizens – aren't a common thing here. But the voice owner felt, that he's not alone:

– Help!

Mammal, no doubts. Judging from the voice – predator. But when I approached to the voice source, I was surprised.

In the middle of the swamp there was a cheetah – no less dirty than the swamp itself. If I wasn't polite, I would've call him fat. His face was scratched and I could read the fear for his life. He had really strange clothes choice for the Zone: shredded and dirty business suit. He didn't notice me yet, but he yelled one more time:

– Help!

I've seen some shit before, but not something like this. I decided to let him explain, what happened:

– What are you yelling at?

– W-who are you? – this dummy squeezed the words out of himself.

– Hopps. Judy Hopps.

– What Hopps? Where's the rescue team?!

– I don't know.. What happened?

It all turned out simple and hard to understand at the same time. Benjamin Clawhauser, the local cop and a close friend of the mayor, asked for the chopper, to personally see the Zone from above. But they hit the «bird ride» and they landed… not so good. The pilot died, and Clawhauser had nothing to do, other than call the rescue team from the survived radio. And then he got trapped in «glued friend» – harmless, but annoying trap. The fun thing is – it was attached to his, how he said, left halfbutt.

But a couple of things were definitely strange. First – I didn't hear the chopper. And the second one: this fatass was alive the whole time. And he looked like he was in total comfort here. But that wasn't the main reason I decided to leave him. I know this kind of mammals. They draw every kind of adventure on your ass.

– Wait! – he screamed, as he guessed my intentions. – Don't leave! Hey, bunny! You can't leave me here! That's unanimal! What if your mutant relative will eat me?!

I stopped. Clawhauser, noticing my hesitation, kept yelling. While I was wondering, what bad have I done in my life to deserve this, he already let all the local habitants, how he will sue me, my family and looks like, he was about to do it for the rest of his life.

Hyenas' distant laugh let me know, that they really like that idea, and were about to save this guy. Or not. Damn it… My chances of coming back home alive were going downhill.

– Pants off! – I've approached to him, holding a knife. He was scared at first, but he understood what I was going to do. I carefully cut the part that was attached to the root of some unknown plant, while Benjamin was happily jumping on the place. Disgusting picture.

Then I had to wait, while he will put the clothes back on, then – when he will end the ranting about «hole in the butt». I was thinking about what to do with this burden in cheetah's look. He helped me with the decision:

– So, help me get out of here…. What's your name again? Judy! I wanna eat and I wanna get outta here as fast as possible. And I will take care of reducing your jail time.

My eyes went dark from the wish of dropping this idiot right here. Well, after attaching him to the trap first.

– Listen up, you! If you will say something else stupid, like that – I will drop you here. That's first. I will call you a Donut from now. I guess, you ate them a lot, before coming here, huh? If you won't answer on that nickname – I will drop you. You hear me? That's second. And whatever-the-god-you-trust-in forbid you to ever scream again – I'm gonna kill you. See this gun? No bullets, but poisonous darts….

The mad laugh that was getting closer, helped him to answer.

– That's the spirit. Follow me now, right after my footsteps. If I will stop – you stop too. If I will lie down – you lie too. Got it?

He nodded. He finally understood that his life is in my hands. We had to get out of here and find a place to wait out the night. I don't want to stay in this swamp anymore.

Nobody was going into the Zone in the night before. Then we found that some anomalies are less active in night and a lot of predator-mutants love daylight. That's why I carry bolts with glowing stripes. You can see them even better, than usual. I kept throwing them, because I feared everything – especially this guy, who didn't know a thing and answered to all my questions «how should I know?!». To make up the excuse of him wandering around, I asked him to look for the dropped bolts. And I happened to meet a riot.

– I'm not going to be a shit collector!

– Oh, what do we have here? – I asked firmly. – A passenger wants to stop the ride on the comfortable train?

– If you're ready to help me to do so – go ahead!

Damn, he caught me on my softness. I decided not to answer.

When we finally left the swamp, I opened my bag and pulled out the waterproof sheet. Clawhauser sounded like he was going to sleep. I felt sorry for him for a second. I slightly pushed him, and he dropped on the sheet with a relief sound. I wouldn't risk to sleep here, unlike him. I wasn't going to anyway. I spilled the spare gunpowder everywhere, to mask our scent and buy us the time. I was surprised by the lying cheetah: he was sleeping, like there was nothing to fear. Yeah, anyone can not only be anything, but also do anything. Or maybe it's just a poor excuse of his stupidity. I wasn't caring what will happen to us.

But we made it to the morning. I decided it was time to go.

– Get up, Donut – I woke him up. – It's time to go.


	3. Chapter 3 - Backup's here

– I'm not a Donut for you, – said this big sleepy meatball, that happened to be my companion. – And I won't go anywhere. The rescue team should be here. And I will be here, too.

Looks like, he gained some courage during the night. I already wanted to leave him be when I heard familiar mad laughter. The pride almost got us. They surely wander around the swamp and trying to sniff us out

– We gotta go – I almost pleased him, but with no effect.

– You've got the gun – he said calmly. – Shoot 'em all.

– You might as well talk it out. Come on, we're goners if we won't move!

– Sometimes you get jealous of the goners themselves. Gimme the gun and go. I'll cover you.

The last words had a clear taunt to me. I wanted to flee. But I couldn't. Seems like such a weenie like me has to prepare to defend myself.

The night fog almost faded away, when we saw another mammal coming to us, who was wearing a military camouflage. It was so unexpected, that I froze for a moment, and the gun already pointed in my face.

The guest was a captain, and didn't have any large equipment, aside from the name badge with "Bogo" on it. His face was tired, but calm. He was lucky not to kick the bucket, but I was afraid that I will do it right now.

– Yep. Stalkers. What should I do with you?

Donut was trying to get up, but the gun didn't move – looks like he saw what we made of.

– I'm not a stalker. I'm Benjamin Clawhauser. You should know about the recent chopper accident. I demand to get me out of here. Tell your chief about your success.

Bogo's look became curious:

– Hmm, yeah, I remember. Then who are you? – that was a question to me. – A pilot?

– She's surely a stalker, – Donut interrupted him. – Arrest her! She threatened me with a gun and some mutated hyenas!

Then we heard laughter. Again. I wondered if they're actually smart, because by the time we were fleeing from them, they could finally get us. The buffalo finally took the gun away. He took out the water bottle and shared with me. That was a good sign.

– Oh come on! – Donut yelled again. – Wasn't I clear about what to do?

While not paying attention to him, I stated to explain to Bogo, what is going on, in all details. He acted wisely shortly after I was done.

– Pack 'em up – he said to me. – And you: get up, – that was for the cheetah. – Time to get the hell out of here

And then the cheetah went nuts. He was suing and jailing everyone in his curses. He told us, who the hell we are, that he's done with it, that he only wanted to look at the Zone from above, that I'm just a dumb bunny whose ears are only long for a decorating and that the rescue team earns money for their job, not for drinking tea, sniffing heroine and paying for home strippers. And after the last one he was fed by a fist.

– GET UP, FROG! – Bogo said firmly. – I AM your rescue team. Two stalkers and military squad went to you yesterday. I'm the only one alive. And it would be sad if I'll kill you right now, but I was given an order. Get up!

And hit him under the ribs with his hoof.

– I have one place in my mind. There's a hill nearby with loads of stones. We can defend from there

I lost the pace with how fast he was acting. But I couldn't see how fast was he going and decided to help.

– You can't just go here, like you're in home, – I said. – You even had stalkers in your team!

The buffalo stopped and turned around.

– You think so? – He said with an irony. – Now let me tell you: they died first. Throwing their shit here and there, they suddenly dropped dead. Both of them! Believe me I've seen dead bodies before. They looked like they were dead for like a week.

– This is why you don't mess with marauders, – I said softly. – They have their own Zone route. These guys probably were young.

It seems he understood me perfectly. What a smart guy. Someone like him is very rare to meet nowadays.

Soon enough we made it to the spot. There were bunch of boulders and stones that looked as if they were used to build a cover area. So we used them for the same purpose: we built a rounded "fortress" – as if the stone round could actually be called a fortress – with a couple of weak spots to attract the pride. I shared my last supplies with Bogo, and Donut got nothing. For the bad behavior. The plan of actions was obvious, but the buffalo felt like he should make the orders of it. It probably helped him not to feel like a cornered prey. We should try not to let the hyenas inside, and if anything will go wrong – gather on the biggest boulder in the middle. We should also take care about the trees – nobody knows what Zone has prepared for us. Bogo surprised me when he pulled out two more pistols and unloaded the ammo packs. That's how you think ahead! He gave me one of the pistols and two ammo packs.

– Hold this, bunny. – He saw the weapon of mine. – Wow, what an ugly gun.

– That's a pneumatic dart shooter. Nothing illegal – I said, carefully holding my beloved pistol.

– Chill, I'm not a patrol, I don't care what do you carry. Take this one, too. Made from ceramic – the latest Zone-adapted development, double-barreled, 18 bullets in one magazine, almost silent, shoots from one barrel at a time and shells are coming from both sides.

He took the exact same gun for himself, played around with it a bit, and took out his main rifle. Donut probably didn't realize what kind of situation are we in, and his eyes had a "You will regret this" look. I was swinging the gun in my paw, looking at its handle, magazine changing mechanism, palming the grey material of shutter cover. My first impressions – softness and comfortable holding. No metal. My prettiest dream.

– Donut! – the buffalo liked my nickname given to him – Take all the small stones you can, and fast.

He obeyed unwillingly and started to gather them into my backpack. Bogo already finished his playing, and looks like he was feeling positive about all this. In 300 meters from us, there were slight silhouettes, nearly undistinguishable because of the poor morning light.

Donut! – Bogo shouted. – Get back! We have guests.

They found us.


	4. Chapter 4 - Playing dead FINAL

Donut quickly retreated back, that was hella surprising, looking at his body. Looks like, he finally realized what's happening.

He returned just in time. The first hyenas – how ugly they were – already gathered in one spot.

– Only shoot if you're sure to hit the target – if there are more, we won't have enough ammo. And you – he turned to Donut, – watch our back and let us know if someone entered the circle. And welcome them with something heavy.

For the first time I saw the real fear in cheetah's eyes.

Ten minutes have passed. Mutants' pride was getting bigger. And then they all launched forward – as if they were obeying some silent order.

– Oh wow, – Bogo mumbled, rising the pistols, – soon they will fight as real army.

The stream of brown bodies divided into numerous parts, covering out hideout. The point of such maneuver was clear as day. They tried to enter all the exits at once. The first shot was deafening, and the second one – silent as sound of opening the champagne bottle. Two beasts were dead. I turned around and shot another sneaky one, who tried to approach from the back. The poison made its job perfectly. The buffalo was shooting almost non-stop. Donut was sitting in the center, fearfully looking from side to side. The whole circle was painted in blood, every entrance had the dead mutant, but they were quickly dragged back to free the space.

It couldn't last forever. I've run out of darts. I was in hurry to load the new ones, but my shaking hands were making it hard, and when I finally finished, two hyenas were already inside.

The first mutant was dead quick enough, but another one was already airborne and I couldn't keep up. But suddenly, the big boulder hit its face and the beast flew away on a nice distance. Only after some time I saw the Donut, who was sitting here with a smile and when he saw my glance, he nodded and got up with said boulder. He looked like he was spoofed. No sign of fear on his face. His eyes were burning with passion. He looked like he was about to go into the swarm himself and dance with them. I really wanted to look on that dance with the Zone itself.

Bogo finally said something.

– We won't last long with this tactic. Only shoot those who made it inside, – another stone flew past him, killing another hyena. It looked like some mystery force was pushing them to their death. The captain was trying to reload.

– The last one, – he smiled, catching my glance.

Someone touched my shoulder. I turned around and saw Donut with complicated face expression.

– Do you have another knife, Hopps?

I didn't know what was that expression but I game him my bone knife. For the first time in my stalker life, I was without my both knives. Looks like the cheetah was surprised, when he saw the bone instead of the metal.

– Zone doesn't like metal, – I explained to him, – this knife cuts no worse than metal one, just hit stronger.

He stepped back and then I saw something that covered my back with cold sweat. Damn trees – one of the hyenas was climbing up on it and three others were waiting for their turn.

– Over there! – I shouted, when the first one jumped down.

I only raised my pneumatic pistol, when Bogo shot him mid-air. I fed another one with poison and it dropped down with horrifying sound, knocking down ones who tried to climb as well. Donut just finished off the big mutant and threw the corpse away. The new stalker was born before my eyes. Not to mention he saved my ass a couple of times.

And we finally won this battle. The pride realized that it could be Pyrrhic victory if they will continue going any further, and retreated back. But my experience told me that they will try to call for help and come back, so there was no time to waste. Bogo was bitten in right arm, my hips were bitten as well and Donut only received a couple of bruises.

As we were hurrying to the perimeter, I couldn't believe that I will count these two completely different mammals as my friends. That's how I felt at least. The sun was shining. The day finally came into the Zone.

* * *

We finally said our goodbyes behind the perimeter. No more adventures on our way back. We were lucky to see the destroyed area with scorched earth – looks like someone got caught here.

As his own goodbye, Bogo gifted me one of his ceramic guns. We shook hands and Benjamin Clawhauser – I cannot not to respect him after what he did to us – said that we will meet again.

– Well, I think, that it won't be hard to find someone like you, – said the buffalo. He finally smiled, sincerely

They went out and soon disappeared from my sight, and I stayed still for a while and went to the forest, where I came in Zone from. I could finally see the real sunshine. But suddenly I felt a slight movement in my backpack. I carefully opened it and found the blue-clouded spiral that I totally forgot about. I was enjoying the sight of this beautiful thing, when a little mount in the grass caught my eye.

It was an old obelisk, from the first years of Zone. They were used a lot back then, grey granite plates with names and photos

My eyes have almost slipped through the lines «.. **died during the rescue operation**..». I noticed the familiar name and photo on it and froze from the shock.

Bogo was looking at me from the obelisk. I found the Donut's face 2 lines further, in his iniform. Bogo Hornsworth and Benjamin Clawhauser. Mammals that I've just departed with, mammals that I was defending from the mad pride with, judging from the text, died 7 years ago. My thoughts ended before they stated to appear. I felt emptiness and cold. The Zone stroke back.

I never told anyone about what happened to me. Nobody cared anyway. I got a lot of money for that spiral. I've spent the part of it to buy the info about these two guys from the Center. No doubts: Donut and Bogo died 7 years ago. One died because of his stupidity and second – while trying to save the first one. And a couple of other mammals too. I tried to find any info about the weapon, that I received, but to no avail.

Now I'm looking at the rain that was watering the earth near my house and was thinking about all the possibilities. Maybe they weren't dead and it was just a mistake, maybe they were actually dead, maybe it was just someone's sick joke, maybe it's just me going crazy.

Or maybe that was the Zone trying to tell me something. I wish I could understand a word from that message.

* * *

 **Well, that was it! It's really the end.**

 **I can tell the confusion in your minds, questions, like "What the hell man? Didn't you have a better final to come up with? And where's Nick? You promised us!". If you REALLY want to know the answers - tell me. These are all the things i want to know from you.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story. Any flaws pointings and feedback are appreciated!**


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